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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. key — the most important part
  5. chair — a leader
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. staff — employees
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. key — in music
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bat — the animal
  21. key — for a lock
  22. staff — employees
  23. bank — for money
  24. chair — a professorship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com